The present invention relates to the field of material-hauling containers and vehicles for transporting such containers, and specifically to devices for securing such containers to the vehicles.
Large containers are available for collecting, transporting and/or dumping waste, bulk and liquid materials. A typical container will include at least a pair of long sills running the length thereof and a plurality of laterally extending cross sills spaced along the length of and atop the long sills. Such containers are transported on large container hoists that include a vehicle with a hoist frame hingedly connected to the rear of the vehicle frame. The hoist frame includes a long pair of hoist frame rails and can be pivoted between a container loading, unloading and dumping position and a horizontal transport position. When a container is pulled atop the hoist frame, the long sills of the container straddle the hoist frame rails, and the front of the container is secured to the front end of the hoist by the lifting device or other suitable restraint mechanism, in accord with the applicable governing regulations. Such regulations also provide that the rear of the container must likewise be secured. One acceptable manner of tiedown is by hooks or an equivalent mechanism, securing both sides of the container to the vehicle chassis or hoist frame. Such mechanism must be within two meters of the rear of the container.
A variety of hold-down mechanisms have been devised to secure the rear end of a container to the hoist frame. One type of hold-down device includes a fixed hook mounted on each side of the container hoist and mating posts extending outwardly from opposing sides of the container. As the container is pulled up onto the hoist, the posts register under the fixed hooks to secure the container onto the hoist. There are a number of problems associated with this type of arrangement. For example, some containers may lack the mating post, in which case there will be nothing to hold the rear end of the container down which, in addition to being a violation of the federal regulations, would pose a significant safety concern. Another problem is that the fixed hook and post design does not permit longitudinal adjustment of the container on the hoist, which is often desired to optimized the weight distribution of the load over the vehicle axles.
Another type of hold-down device includes a hook pivotably mounted to the hoist frame and operable to pivot up and over the container long sill. Such devices frequently fail to lockingly engage with the container long sill, however, because one of the container cross sills obstructs the pivoting hook""s path. This occurs because the vehicle hoists and containers vary in size and configuration from one manufacturer to another and because the containers are not always located in the exact same position upon a particular hoist. For example, the spacing between adjacent cross sills of typical containers can vary between 12 and 20 inches. In special cases where extraordinary strength is needed, a container could be made with cross sills spaced considerably closer together. As a result, the chances are fairly good that a cross sill of a container will align with the hold-down hook of a hoist, which in turn will prevent the hook from properly engaging with the container long sill.
What is desired is an improved device for holding a container down in a secure position atop a vehicle-mounted hoist frame.
Generally speaking, there is provided a device for securing a container to a vehicle-mounted hoist frame, the device including a mutually proximal pair of hooks that can be actuated to pivot up and over the top of the long sill of a container.
A device for securing a container to a hoist includes a frame rigidly connectable to the hoist; first and second hooks mounted in mutually close proximity and to the frame to rotate about an axis between a retracted, unlocked position away from the long sill of the container and an activated, locking position disposed at least partially over the long sill; an actuator mounted to the frame to move between an activating position and a retracting position, the actuator engageable with the hooks to rotate the hooks from the activated, locking position to the retracted, unlocked position when the actuator moves from the activating position and the retracting position; springs operationally connected with the hooks for urging the hooks toward the activated, locking position; and, a power device connected with the actuator to move the actuator between the activating and retracting positions.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for holding a container securely onto a vehicle-mounted hoist frame.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment.